Water shortage: Slow death of rural communities

ASC17-1 alumni Tenzin Namgyel (Butan) recently wrote an article onthe impact of drought and extreme weather events on rural villages. This article is based on his Fellows Project and was published in Kuensel newspaper on July 1, 2017 in both English and Dzongkha.

According to Namgyel," Drinking water shortage has hit many communities across the country. At Shumar gewog in Pemagatshel, close to a thousand people are sharing water from a few seasonal springs. Gamung and Gonpung villages have no fixed water sources. The villagers collect water from temporary springs that hold water in summer when there is rain. The sources disappear in winter."

He also stated that:

"Climate change, in addition to increasing anthropogenic activities, could impact both quality and quantity of water because climate change in the region is occurring at higher elevation. Untimely rainfall, extreme heat, flooding, landslide and windstorm have become common. The report says that although Bhutan is endowed with abundant water, seasonal and local water scarcity for drinking and agriculture have been observed due to extreme weather events.

"Though it’s not easy to ascertain whether the disappearance of water sources is purely because of climate change, most of the villagers who depend on ground water, springs, streams, ponds and wells for drinking said that erratic rainfall could be one of the main factors leading to drying of water sources.

"However, no studies have been done so far to understand to what extent the climate change has affected the water sources in the country."

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